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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. kid — child
  3. object — an aim
  4. object — to protest
  5. pit — a hole
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. object — a thing
  10. rest — what's left
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. pit — in a race
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. wax — to grow
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. mug — to rob
  20. rest — a break
  21. mug — a cup
  22. kid — to tease
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. rest — what's left

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com